Vertical hydraulic gyro



July 20, 1948 B. G. CARLSON I VERTICAL HYDRAULIC GYROS Filed Feb. 1'7, 1945 INVENTOR BERT G. CARLSON A T TORNE Y Patented july zil, 1948 vER'rio L' HYDRAULIC GYRO' i Bert G2 Carlson-,Gates Mills, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments; to J ack & 'Heintz. Precision: Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application February 17, 1945, SerialNo. 578,525"

6 Claims;

This invention in general relates to gyro as sembl-ies' and has for one of-its primary objects to provide for an hydraulicallydriven horizon gyro having avertical rotor s'pi'n axis and an improved fluid gravity pull erection device.-

vides th'erequired erecting force.

tion;

ports for the erection-wheel; and

with respect to'the vertical.

rotor buckets l3to spinthe rotor.

2 bearings l8 carried byan inner race for rotatably ca'rrying'a spindle 21 to which is adjust-5 ably and removably connected by a nut 22 acii-pshaped wheel 23: wheel 23 has-a spheri'mail This creates a torque- 5 inner upper suriace to correspond'to the spherical To this :end his proposed-to suspend from the outer surface ll of the -partition l1 whichit bott'on'i' o'f thein-ner gimbal a cup-shaped wheel overlaps-andtosvhichdt-is adjacent:- rotatablein spherical bearings normally about an The wheel 23 has its inner wall dished 'out to axis coincident'with that of the gyro rotor. provide ports at 24, 25; 28 and ZIiroih which Ports are provided to perrnit the flow of pressure W extend tangential passages 28', 29, 30 and 3-15 oil into the wheel and tangentially extending respectively, to the exterior. The spindle is ports are provided for its escape. Processing of screw threaded'to receive adjustable weightn'uts the gyro causes'the fluid gravit 'pull erection 32 and an adjustablecounterweight 33." With oildevi'c'e 'to become pivoted relative to its spherical under pressure flowing-into wheel 23'the' effect bearing and this causes the outlet ports on the of the tangentially extendingpassages la -El ashigh sideto more fully open while those on the theoil flows out 'of them is to impart a rotary low side become more restricted to fluid flow motion-to the wheel in the same clockwise diree therethrough; The unbalance of-jet velocity of tion as the gyro" rotor I as the supporting'spindle' oil outwardthrough the tangential passages prorotates in its bearing assembly. 1 i1 i i As long as the gyro assembly is-erect and the With the foregoing and other objects inview, axis of theigyro'wheel is truly vertical, as shown the invention resides in the combination of parts in Figure 1, the passages 24-2'| and consequent/ and. inthe detailspf construction hereinafter setly the tangentialpassages 28-3 I are maintained forth inthe following specification and appended equally opened by their uniform relationship with cl'aims; certain embodiments thereof being illusthe outer spherical surface of the adjacent par trated the accompanying drawings, in which: tition H. When; however, the gyro becomes in-' Figure 1 is a view in vertical section taken clined in a manner, such as shown in Figure-3; throughan horizon gyro assembly and the erecthe liquid filled rotating wheel maintains its ver tion wheel, the gyro rotor being shown inelevatical attitude. This is permitted by theloose 30 shift'able engagement of ball-bearings I9 with'the" Figure? is a view in section taken along line outer race ['8 whose-inner surface is spherical- 2 --2 df Figure 1 showing the inlet and outlet and of a relativelylarge arc of curvature. As this occurs the right side of gimbal fi is lowered Figure 3 is a fragment'ary view in vertical sec as the left side is elevated and this brings the tion showing the relationship between the gyro 35" right side of the lower spherical surface ll" into and the erecting wheel as the gyro becomes tilted position to close the ports 24, 25, 26" and-"21 of wheel 23 and-"the left sideof surface 11" to fully Referring more particularly to the drawings, open the'same. Figure 3 shows outlet port26f30 the gyro rotor I has its'vertical pivots 2 and 3 closed andoutlet port 44, 28 fully opened. It is mounted in bearing assemblies 4 and 5 in a 40 tobe understood, however, that the wheel 23congimbal 6 for counterclockwise rotation of the mines to rotate when thegyro istilted, as well rotor, as viewedin Figure 2. This gimbal frame as when the gyro is vertical, so that when the: carries hollow trunnions 1 and 8 supported by gyro is tilted thelow side-of surface H restricts bearingra'ssemblies 9 and HL: "Oil under pressure the flow of liquid through the wheel outlet ports isintroduced intohollow trunnions l and 'B and and thehigh side opens them wider toliquid through passages II and IZ to impinge on the flow as the wheel rotates.

which overcomes the-gravity action'of the weight- The gimbal casting is hollowed to provide a of 'the liquid and 'efiects anerection of the gyro. passage I4 to carry pressure oil from the hollow Upon restoration of normal conditions the gyro trunnion I to an annular passage l5 and thence resumes its vertical position and the gravity through a Series Of Sp d icte p es 6 responsive wheel returns to its normal central in the lower Partition H of t e gimbal frame bespinning relationship with the gyro assembly as low the lower bearing 5. This partition is censhown in Figure 1. trally apertured to receive a spherical bearing 1 i race 18. This bearing race I8 receives the ball 1. An erecting device for gyro verticals comprising a universally supported rotor bearing frame and a fluid driven gyro rotor therein, a wheel rotatably and pendulously mounted on said frame and in communication with the pressure fluid for driving said rotor, said wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet passages extending tangentially through its outer rim to im-p'el rotation to said wheel in the same direction as that of said gyro rotor and normally about an axis coincidental with that of said gyro.

as pressure fluid is discharged throughsaid passages and valve means carried by said frame for maintaining said outlet passages equally open while said gyro remains vertical and when said gyro is tilted adapted to restrict fluid flow through said passages as they pass by the low side of said gyro and more fully open fluid flow through said passages as they pass by the high side of the tilted gyro and its valve means for creating a torque .to erect said gyro.

2. An erecting device for gyro verticals comprising a universally supported rotor bearing frame and a fluid driven gyro rotor therein, a wheel rotatably and pendulously mounted in spherical bearingson said frame and in communication with the pressure fluid for driving said rotor, said wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet passages extending tangentially through its outer rim to impel rotatation to said wheel in the same direction as that of said gyro rotor and normally about an axis coincidental with that of said gyro as pressure fluid is discharged through said passages and valve means rigid with the frame for maintaining said outlet passages equally open while said gyro remains vertical and when said gyro is tilted adapted to restrict fluid flow through said passages as they pass by the low side of said gyro and more fully open fluid flow through said passages as they pass by the high side of the tilted gyro and its valve means for creating a torque to erect said gyro.

' 3. An erecting device for gyro verticals comprising a universally sup-ported rotor bearing frame and a fluid driven gyro rotor therein, a wheel rotatably and pendulously mounted having a spherical inner surface and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet passages extending tangentially through its outer rim to impel rotation to said wheel in the same direction as that of said gyro rotor and normally about an axis coincidental with that of said gyro as pressure fluid is discharged through said passages and valve means including a spherical member adjacent the inner surface of said wheel and rigid and coextensive with the frame for maintaining said outlet passages equally open while said gyro remains vertical and when said gyrov is tilted adapted to close said passages as they pass by the low side of said gyro and more fully open fluid flow through said passages as they pass by the high side of the tilted gyro and its valve means for creatinga torque to erect said gyro.

4. An erecting device for gyro verticals comprising a universally supported rotor bearing frame and an hydraulically driven gyro rotor therein, a wheel rotatably and pendulously mounted in spherical bearings on said frame and in communication with the pressure liquid for driving said rotor, said wheel having a spherical inner surface and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet passages extending tangentially through its outer rim to impel rotation to said wheel in the same direction as that of said lgyro rotor and normally about an axis coincidental with that of said gyro as pressure liquid is discharged through said passages and valve means including a spherical member adjacent the inner surface of said wheel and rigid and coextensive with the frame for maintaining said outlet passages equally open while said gyro re- .mains vertical and when said gyro is tilted adapted to restrict fluid flow through said passages as they pass by the low side of said gyro and more fully open fluid flow through said passagesas they pass by the high side of the tilted gyro and its valve means for creating a torque to erect said lgyro.

5. An erecting device for gyro verticals comprising a universally supported rotor bearing frame and a fluid driven gyro rotor therein, a wheel rotatably and pendulously mounted on said frame and in communication with the pressure fluid for driving said rotor, said wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet passages extending tangentially through its outer rim to impel rotation to said wheel in the same direction as that of said gyro rotor and normally about an axis coincidental with that of said gyro as pressure fluid is dischargedthrough said passages and valve means for said wheel exhaust passages actuated in accordance with the tilting of said gyro to create a torque to cause said wheel to exert an erecting force on said gym.

6. An erecting device for gyro verticals comprising a universally supported rotor bearing frame and an hydraulically driven gyro rotor therein, a wheel rotatably and pendulously mounted in spherical hearings on said frame and in communication with the pressure liquid for driving said rotor, said wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet passages extending tangentially through its outer rim to impel rotation to said wheel in the same direction as that of said gyro rotor and normally about an axis coincidental with that of said gyro as pressure liquid is discharged through said passages and valve means rigid with said frame and actuated in accordance with the tilt of said gyro to open and restrict fluid flow through said wheel outlet passages to create a torque as said wheel rotates to cause said wheel to exert an erecting force on said gyro.

BERT .G. CARLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Carter Aug. 7, 1945 

